MAKATI CITY, Philippines – The Philippines has assumed for the first time the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Coordinating Committee on Intellectual Property Policy and Cooperation (ACIPC).

This was confirmed by Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines Director General Adrian Cristobal, Jr. during an IP seminar at the IPOPHIL office in Makati City.

Cristobal said that the ACIPC's priorities for the next two years include a rollout of the first regional patent cooperation project and the online director of IP-related resources for the ASEAN member countries.

Cristobal said the ACIPC is looking to create stronger IP protection in the ASEAN region.

“Some of the initiatives and projects currently being implemented or piloted are designed to nurture the creative economy and boost small and medium scale businesses in the intra-ASEAN trade,” he said.

Cristobal noted the benefits of the IP DIRECT, the online director for IP-related resources, which he said would be a one-stop resource for businesses in the ASEAN region.

IP DIRECT would provide information on legislation, dispute resolution bodies, sources for grants and loans, as well as lists of research and development offices and rights management organizations in the region.

IPOPHIL also has several projects aimed at providing online IP-related information and services.